TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno has commented on the airport tax hike at several airports. He explained that based on reports some airports had to increase the tax due to higher operational costs and adjustments so that the airports remained in line with environmental sustainability.

“Airport operators are still adapting with the pressure of operational costs after the pandemic,” Sandiaga said on Friday, July 15, 2022. However, he added that the airports at superpriority tourist destinations had yet to report any increases.

According to Sandiaga, the decision to increase the airport tax has gone through prior discussions with multiple stakeholders, including the Transportation Ministry. Sandiaga said Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi had asked that the increase should be offset with more flights. A number or airlines, such as AirAsia, Lion Air Group and Pelita Air Services have planned to increase their flight frequency, he added.

Earlier, Indonesian Flight Service User Association (Apjapi) chairman Alvin Lie lamented the absence of an announcement from airport operators on the airport tax jump. “It is a pity that airport operators failed to announce this transparently so that it seemed like the increase is in airfares,” he said.

Alvin said airport taxes at Ambon’s Pattimura Airport and Kupang’s El Tari rose by 40 percent and 75 percent, respectively, to Rp70,000, which took effect beginning June 24, 2022.

Some other airports also plan on increasing their airport taxes beginning tomorrow, Saturday, July 16, 2022, viz. Juanda Airport in Surabaya, Jenderal Ahmad Yani Airport in Semarang, Adi Soemarmo Airport in Solo, and Adi Sucipto Airport in Yogyakarta.

The airport taxes at Soekarno-Hatta Airport’s Terminals 2 and 3 for domestic routes, meanwhile, leapt by 41 percent and 30 percent, respectively, to Rp119,880 and Rp168,730, effective August 1, 2022.

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